FORMER Olympian Jason Wing has spoken of his delight at bagging his "dream job" as Principal of his old school Neale-Wade Community College.

The new Principal for Neale-Wade CC Jason Wing, who will take over from Tim Hitch.(left)

Letters were sent out to parents yesterday announcing that Mr Wing will take over from current Principal Tim Hitch at the March school in September.

The 45-year-old - who is currently Vice-Principal at Witchford Village College - was part of the British Bobsleigh team at the Winter Olympics in Norway in 1994. He is a European silver medallist and also played rugby for the London Crusaders, a team which later became Harlequins.

But the Neale-Wade old boy, who lives in March, said becoming Principal of the school was the next “exciting phase” in his career.

He said: “It’s my dream job. It’s a chance to make a difference to the school that I went to and in a town that deserves to have a really good school.

The new Principal for Neale-Wade CC Jason Wing, who will take over from Tim Hitch.

“It’s the best job I could possibly have. I had the opportunity to go to two other interviews but I didn’t.

“This is the next very exciting phase for me. I always tried my best at bobsleigh and rugby and now I will strive to be the very best for Neale-Wade.

“The school has been left in good shape and is classed as satisfactory by Ofsted. The aim is to take it to outstanding. The governors want that and I want that. There’s no reason why it can’t happen.

“There’s lots of things happening in education now and it’s a question of responding to them. In sporting terms, Tim passes the baton to me and I’m running the next leg. It will be a long leg as well - I certainly see this as my last job.”

The new Principal for Neale-Wade CC Jason Wing, who will take over from Tim Hitch.

Mr Wing started teaching in 1989, specialising in PE and IT. He spent years teaching in London and collected an award from the House of Commons after his Isleworth and Syon School was named Sports College of the Year in 2005.

His teaching achievements came years after his sporting successes, which he said were triggered by a chance meeting with a top bobsleigh competitor.

“I was running at Crystal Palace, doing the 100m race,” he said. “I was probably three stone heavier than everyone else but I won it.

“A guy came running down from the stand and said: ‘have you ever thought about taking up bobsleigh?’ It turned out he was the British number one at the time.

“He was looking for people who were really fast but heavy. I was probably the fastest, fattest man in the country! I got straight into the British team.

“I came from an athletics background but I have had the real success in team sports - where you are reliant on the other people around you.

“I’m big on team building and want that here - it’s no different to rugby or bobsleigh, you need a team of teachers and staff.

“I want to be a visible leader - I’ll roll my sleeves up, get out there and get stuck in. If you do that you have more chance of taking people with you.”

Mr Wing will move into a brand new office in September as the Building Schools for the Future developments at Neale-Wade continue to make rapid progress.